Control device



May 7, 1940. WHITNEY 2,199,975

CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 14, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Jnven tar;

May 7, 1940. L. F. WHITNEY CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 14, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet '2 Inventor;

6y MWYW J/ in? y 1940- F. WHITNEY CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 14, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 7, 1940. L. F. WHITNEY 2,199,975

CONTROL DEVICE Filed April 14, 1938 4 Sheets-Sheet 4- Patented UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE CONTROL DEVICE Application April 14, 1938, Serial No. 202,014

lClaim.

This invention relates to safety control devices of the type which operate in response to the melting of material at an increased temperature. In accordance with this invention, such devices may be arranged so that they may be reset without necessity for remelting the material.

In certain systems, such as heat operated refrigerating systems, it is often desirable to provide a control device for automatically interrupting the supply of heat to a vaporizer or the like, when the temperature of the latter rises unduly. Such a device should operate, for example, if the vaporizer is denuded. Under such conditions a control device may be advantageously employed which operates in response to the melting of fusible material. Such a device does not permit resumption of fuel supply or the like until personal attention is given to the apparatus. It is, however, desirable to provide a control device of go this type which may be manually reset without necessity for remelting the fusible material. Futhermore, such a device may often be desirably employed in association with a vaporizer and heater which are disposed in a heat insulating housing so that convenient access to the vaporizer and the fusible material is precluded.

In accordance with this invention, a suitable control device may be associated with the supply line for a heater, such as a fuel supply line for a burner or an electric supply line for an electrically energized heater. This control device may be arranged so that it automatically functions to interrupt the operation of the heater when the temperature of the part being heated, such, for example, as a vaporizer, rises to an unduly high point. For this purpose a body of fusible material preferably is located in good heat conductive relation to the vaporizer and arranged normally to lock the device to prevent interruption of the supply of gas or electricity to the heater. However, if the temperature of the vaporizer or the like should rise to an unduly'high point, the fusible material melts to permit the automatic interruption of the supply of gas or electricity. For this purpose a suitable spring may be provided to cause the actuation of a fuel controlling valve or of an electrical switch. Preferably the switch or valve is associated with resetting mechanism located at a distance from the fusible material. Thus the fusible material may be juxtaposed to a vaporizer which is located in a heat insulating housing, while the valve and resetting mechanism may be located outside of the housing. In order to permit the convenient resetting of the device, suitable means is provided to extend between the resetting mechanism and the assembly which contains the fusible material. Such means may conveniently be in the form of a somewhat resilient rod. A ratchet pinion or the like may normally be held 5 against rotation by the fusible material, and a pawl may be mounted on the connecting means or resilient rodand may normally engage the pinion. When the fusible material melts, rotation of the pinion is permitted, such rotation bcl0 ing caused by the stressed spring of the resetting mechanism which also causes closing of the valve in the fuel supply line or opening of the switch in the electrical supply line.

When the device is to be reset, the rod may 15 be returned to its normal position, corresponding, for example, to the opened position of the gas valve, the resiliency of the rod permitting the pawl to move over the teeth of the ratchet pinion so that, although the pinion does not 20 resume its original position, the rod and the resetting mechanism may be returned to their normal positions.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a gas heated boiler 25 assembly having a safety control device constructed in accordance with this invention, certain parts being shown in section;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of a portion of the device shown in Fig. 1, parts being broken 30 away and shown in section; I

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 2, parts being broken away;

Fig. 4 is a section on line 4--4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a section indicated by line 5-5 of 35 Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the ratchet member of the control device;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig, 1, but showing an optional arrangement employed with an electrically energizable heater;

Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 7, parts being broken away;

Fig. 9 is a sectional detail of the switch assembly shown in Fig. 8; 45

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of the boiler assembly and portions of the control device shown in Fig. 7, parts being broken away;

Fig. 11 is an end elevation of the boiler and a portion of the control device; and 0 Fig. 12 is a section on line I2l2 of Fig. 11.

Figs. 1 and 2 show a typical arrangement of a vaporizer assembly with which a control device of the present type may be associated. Such an assembly comprises a boiler l which may include a combustion chamber 2 and which may provide a jacket around this chamber to contain a body of liquid for vaporization. A boiler of this type is more fully disclosed in United States Patent No, 1,954,398, of Eastman A. Weaver et al. Such a boiler may conveniently be employed in a. refrigerating system employing mercury as a propellant. This boiler may be provided with a stack 4 and with a vapor outlet duct 5 as well as a liquid return duct 6.

The boiler I may be provided with'a suitable heater, such as a gas burner I. Such a burner, for example, may be of the general type disclosed in United States Patent No. 1,885,530. This burner may receive gas through a supply line I0,

between sections of which a valve housing is disposed. This valve housing forms a portion of the control device of the present invention and is shown in greater detail in Fig. 3.

It is evident that the housing I I is provided with a slidable valve l3 of the poppet type which, in its closed position, prevents the flow of fuel, suchas gas, through the supply line III to the burner I. The valve I3 is provided with a spindle I3 which is slidably mounted in a packing assembly I4 and which carries a grooved collar member I6. The latter is secured to the spindle l3 by a screw IT. The valve housing II is mounted on the end of a skeletonized support or housing I9 which affords a pivotal mounting for a short hand lever 2|, the inner end of which is received in the grooved portion of the collar I6. The screw II extends through a slot in the housing I9 to prevent rotation of valve l3 and spindle I3". Collar I6 affords a shoulder engageable with one end of a compression spring 23, the opposite end of which engages an end wall of the housing I9. The latter may conveniently be mounted on the sheet metal wall 25 of a heat insulating housing 26. This housing preferably is of substantial size and contains discrete heat insulating material 21 which surrounds the vaporizer I and the major portion of the burner assembly I.

The valve spindle l3 preferably extends for a small distance into the housing 26 and has secured thereto a small-diametered, somewhat resilient rod 29. The inner end of this rod supports a pawl 36 of the form shown in Fig. 6, this pawl being provided with a beveled portion 3| between two block-like extensions 32. In its normal position the beveled portion of the pawl is engageable with the toothed periphery of a ratchet pinion 33, while the protuberances 32 are disposed at either side of this pinion (Fig. 4). The beveled portion 3| and the teeth of the pinion are arranged to have a cam-like engagement when the valve spindle I 3 and the rod 29 are moved. inwardly. On the other hand, the movement of the rod and valve spindle in the opposite direction under the action of spring 23 is prevented by the ratchet wheel and pawl.

The pinion 33 is normally locked against rotation (Fig. 4). For this purpose, it may be mounted in threaded engagement with a spindle 34, a suitable pin 35 being arranged to lock the wheel against rotation relative to the spindle. The latter is mounted in a cup-like member 40 which provides a socket receiving a round portion 34 of the spindle and a collar 34 thereon spaced from the portion 34. The inner end of the spindle is provided with planar surfaces 36 and is disposed within a body 39 of fusible material such as bichromate of potassium. At normal operating temperatures, this fusible material rigidly prevents rotation of the spindle 34 and of the ratchet wheel 33. Accordingly the valve I3 cannot move to its closed position under th influence of the stressed spring 23.

The member 46 is secured by welding 4| to a bar 42 which extends through the liquid-containing jacket of the boiler I into contact with the wall 2 of the firebox 2. Thus the fusible material 39 is in excellent heat-conductive relation to the boiler and firebox. Accordingly, if, for example," the boiler is denuded. the temperatures of the members 42 and 46 immediately rise and the fusible material 39 melts. Thereupon the spring 23 causes rotation of the ratchet pinion 33 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, and causes the valve I3 to move into engagm entwi'th its seat. Thus, when the boiler I is denuded, the device automatically operates to interrupt the supply of fuel to the burner I.

It is evident that a control device of this type does not automatically permit resumption of fuel fiow to the burner as soon as the boiler has cooled, but that personal attention must be given to the apparatus before normal operation can be resumed. After the system has been properly reconditioned for normal operation, the control device may be reset without necessity for obtainthe cooperating surfaces of the teeth permit such a relative movement of the parts. The resilient rod 29 permits the movement of the pawl 36 outwardly as it moves over the teeth of the ratchet pinion 33. Obviously when the device is reset in this manner, the ratchet pinion ordinarily may have turned from the position which it previously occupied, but the pinion has been relocked inits new position by the solidified material 39.

Fig. 7 illustrates a boiler assembly which may be employed when electrical energy is used for the heater. Figs. 10 and 11 show a boiler IOI which is provided with a vapor outlet duct I65 and with a liquid return duct I06. This boiler may be provided with a socket portion I62 of substantial diameter to receive an electric resistance element I 01 in the form of a cartridge. The boiler IOI preferably is housed in an insulating housing I26 similar to the housing 26 described above, and similarly containing heat insulating material I21. The heating element I61 receives electrical energy through suitable electrical leads III] and H6. The lead IIII may conveniently comprise sections which are connected through a switch assembly III (Fig. 8). Under normal conditions this switch is closed so that current can pass to the heater I01 and so that the vaporizer may function in the normal manner.

The switch assembly III is shown more particularly in Fig. 9 and comprises a button I66 slidably mounted in an insulating casing IN and engageable with a snap spring I62. The latter may be bifurcated and laterally pinched, so that a slight pressure on the button I66 causes the spring to snap to separate the contacts of the switch assembly. The button I66 is juxtaposed to the end of a rod I29 corresponding to the rod 29 of Fig. 2. This rod carries a block H6 engageable with one end of a compression spring I23, the opposite end of which engages a plate I24 secured to the wall I25 of the insulating housing I 20. The block I23 slidably engages a bar II1 to prevent rotation of rod I29.

The switch assembly III and the spring I25, as well as related parts, are disposed in a suitable frameor housing provided with a removable cover I10. This cover is provided with an opening through which the cable I12 extends, this cable carryingthe sections of lead IIO which are connected to the switch assembly III. A standard clamp I14 has a portion secured to the cover I10 and is also normally pinched on the .cable I12 to prevent the movement of the cover along the cable. However, when this clamp is loosened, the cover may he slid along the cable to aiford access to the end of the rod I29. The latter may then be actuated to compress the spring I23 while separating the rod from the button I60. As soon as the pressure on the button is relieved, the spring I62 snaps back to. its normal shape to cause mutual engagement of the contacts of the switch assembly 'I I and to permit the flow of current through the successive sections of the current supply line H0.

The inner end of the rod, I29 carries a pawl member I30 which may be similar.to the pawl member 30 and which may similarly engage a ratchet pinion I33. The latter is mounted on a spindle I34 (Fig. 12) having a section providing flattened surfaces engageable with a body I39 of fusible materialin a cup-like housing I40. The latter is welded onto an integral extension I44 of the inner boiler shell orsocket I02. Accordingly, when the vaporizer or boiler is denuded, the temperatures of the member I44 and the member I40 immediately rise so that the material I39 is melted and the ratchet pinion I33 can turn under the influence of spring I23. Such rotation of the pinion permits the rod I29 tomove to the right as viewed in Fig. 8, causing the button I to snap the spring I62. Thereupon the switch III is opened to interrupt the supply of current to the heating element I01. Obviously the device does not permit automatic resumption of current supply without necessitating personal attention to the system. After such attention has been given to the system and it is again ready for normal operation, the clamp I14 may be loosened so that the cover I10 may be slid along the cable I 12 away from the switch assembly I I I. Thus the end of the rod I29 is uncovered and the latter may be moved endwise, permitting the return of the spring I02 to its normal position, compressing the spring I23, and causing the movement of the pawl I30 over the teeth of the now rigidly positioned pinion I33 until the pawl is locked in position.

One important feature of the present invention involves the provision of a heat conductor arranged so that the melting of the fusible materialreadilytakesplacewhenthevaporiaeris denuded. The heat conductor is arranged so that it is in intimate heat-conductive relation to a part of the vaporizer which has a surface normally engaged by the liquid being vaporized but which is also in close heat transfer relation to the heater. Accordingly when the liquid level falls so that the surface of this part of the vaporizer is no longer cooled by the liquid, the temperature of this part rises rapidly and to a substantial extent, thus causing greatly increased heat flow through the conductor to the fusible material and the quick melting of the latter. It will be noted, for example, that the bar 42 (Fig. 4) extends to the wall 2 the outer surface of which normally is engaged by the liquid mercury in the vaporizer and. the inner surface of which is ex- Posed to the flame of the heater, while it will also be noted that the heat conductor I44 is an extension of the boiler shell I02 (Fig. 12), this shell having its outer surface normally in contact with the liquid mercury and its inner surface in direct juxtaposition to the heating cartridge I01.

It is evident that the present invention afiords a safety control device operable to prevent the normal functioning of the controlled apparatus in response to the melting of fusible material. Such a control device may conveniently be associated with the supply line of the apparatus, such as the fuel supply line oran electrical supply line of a heater associated with a suitable vaporizer. The device requires personal attention to the apparatus before normal operation can be resumed, but permits resetting without necessity for access to the immediatevicinity of the vaporizer. Thus the latter may be disposed in a heat insulating housing of substantial size and yet the device may be reset without necessity for access to the interior of the housing."

It should be understood that the present disclosure is for the purpose of illustration only and that this invention includes all modifications and equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claim.

I claim:

Apparatus of the class described comprising a mercury boiler, a heater for the boiler, a supply line for the heater, a shut-oil device for the supply line operable to interrupt the operation of the heater, resilient means tending to cause operation of the device, a fusible body of bichromate of potassium in heat transfer relation to said boiler, a connection between said device and said body, said connection normally being locked by said body in a position to prevent operation of the device by said resilient means, the melting of the body rauiting in release of the connection and the operation of the shut-oi! device under the influence of the resilient means.

LYMAN I. WHITNEY. 

